Pie shield



July 12, 1960 E. w. HAYES 2,944,725

PIE SHIELD Filed July 16, 1958 FIG. I

5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. EDMUND W HAYES BY Man/WW l ATToRnEYs E. W.HAYES PTE SHIELD July 12, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 16, 1958 5.mw F FIGS FIG.7

IN VEN TOR. 50ML/ND w HA YES ATT RNEYS July 12, 1960 E. w. HAYES2,944,725

PmsHxELD Filed July 16, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet IS INVENTOR. EDMU/VD W HAYESAT iORNEYS appearance and unsalable. It is another object of thisinvention to provide :a shield which can be easily attached to andremoved from United States Patent I 6 claims (ctms-'43) 'I'his inventionrelates to protective devices for foodstuffs vand moreV particularly toprotective shields `for bakery products such as piers.

BreflklgeY and diSgu-emetpofbakd goods;"and 'narticularly breakage ofpie jcrusts,'is a major 1` roblem` in the storage and `shipmentof such"foodstuffs.' Most of the presentday methods of storagejandshipment,which often include insertion of thepie and piefpan within a box, -havefailedto prevent movement of the'pieirelative t, Vto the pan as well asmovementfof the pie and'pie pan relative to the box, and thus havefailed to preventbreakage of the pie. In fact, many manufacturers of:pies have, on occasion, experienced breakage as high as 100 percentwhen shipping pies in the conventional manner.

It is therefore an object of this inventionto provide a shield for piesand the like which will substantially eliminate the breakage thatrenders the pies unattractive in the pie and pie pan and which iseconomical to manu- 'facture so as to be disposable after use. e t

" It is a further object of this inventionto provide a protective shieldrfor use with pies, either fresh or frozen, that will limit movementV ofthe pie relative to its pan while, at the same time, limiting movementof pie and pan relative to a box enclosure.

A further object is toprovide a pie shield which can be attached to apie pan in a simple and easy manner,

which will remain securely Vin place under normalconditions of use, andwhich will enhance the appearance of lthe product to the consumer.`

Details of these objects and of the invention as well las otherobjects-thereof are set forth in the `following specification andareillustrated in the attached drawings t which form a part thereof. l

In the drawings: l A Fig. 1 is a top view of' a preferred embodimentofthe protective shield prior totassembly on a pie pan;

Fig. 2 is a top view of the shield attached to a pie pan; Fig. 3 is abottom view yof the shield attached to a pie Pall;

Fig. 4 is a perspective View of a shield just prior to assembly on a'piepan;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the shield and-pie pan positionedYwithin an outer protective box; t

Fig. 6 is a partial cross ysection taken along the line 6-6 of Fig. 2showingfthe relationship of the cover,

pan and a pie contained therein;

Fig. 7 is a View, similar totFig. l6 with the box'rshown t in dottedlines; Y,

Fig. 8 is a top view-of a second embodiment of the protective shieldprior to assembly on a pie pan;

Fig. 9 is a top view of the shield of Pig. 8 attached to a pie pan; Y

Fig. 10 is a bottom viewfof the shield-of Fig. 8l atn tached to a piepan; and i e Y f.

Figs. 1l, 12 and 13 are partial side views showing the shield of Fig. 8rin various stages of assembly on the pie pan.

shown as a blank-in Fig. l, it is seen that-pie'shield 1 Ais a generallyrectangular sheet of cardboard, or the like, having flaps or tabs 2 cuttherein near each corner.

Referring now to the embodiment of the invention yThe shape of shield 1is preferably that of -the outer con-V f- Referring now to Figs. 5, 6and 7, '6 areshown assembled forvuse with box 8 (shown in Patented' July'12, 1.960

ice

number' of naps 2 are determined by the geometry of the piev pan so thatrelative lmovementy is limited. Each ,ilap 2V is cut so that the inneredge 3 is directed toward the' center of theV sheet along a diagonalthereof and, in 4the preferred embodiment, each inner edge 3 isarcuately Shaped to correspond tothe configuration lof the pie pan withwhich itis to be used. Score lines' 4 and 5,l extending ;from thehingeend of -each ap 2 to the edge lof shieldll in a directionsubstantially perpendicular to vtheffdiagonal of shield j1, form a lineof weakness to facilitate bending movement of flap 2 and the shieldlcorner'as a unit along these lines.

Referringnow to Figs. 2, 3, and -4, itis seen that upward movement ofthe corners of sheetA I by bending along 'score lines 4 and 5 serves todepress'the inner ends of Vilaps 3 so that they will clear the outsideedge of pie pan 6. In commercial practice, pies are shipped and nsold inthe containers in which` they are baked which may be made ofinexpensiverelatively rigid materials such as metal foil, brous board sheetmaterial, etc. 'Ihese are referred't'o generically herein as pie pans.Shield `1Y is then lowered into contact with pie pan 6 and flap end 3 israised into contact with vthe underside of rim 6a by depressing thecorners of 'sheet 1. This movement also places the arcuate edge-'3 injuxtaposition to the Y side wall of the pan6 to further assist inpositioning the shield relative to the pan. The assembly of shield 1with pie pan 6, in the manner just described, positions 'the shield sothat the pie shieldvoverlies the crust of the pie Iand has irtsjcorner.portions and, Vif desired, its edge portions,` extending beyond theperipheryof the pie so Vto prevent contact with pie and its crustl andto limit 'movement of the pierelative tothe pie pan. It is noted, Yatthis point, that the drawings show Aa dotted circle 7 in shield 1 whichportion maybe scored or severed for vremoval if desired tovgive avisible'indication of the nature ofthe contents in container 6.

' hield 1 and lpie pas dotted lines). In the interests of clarity ofpresentation, the pie has been omitted from Figs. 1-*5 but it is shownin relationship to the pie pan and shieldin Figs. 6 and 7. Shield 1 isdimensioned to generally .conform to the inside ydimensions of box 8thereby substantially preventing lateral movement ofthe pie pan 6 withinbox 8. As illus- `trated in Fig. 6, when the protectivecorner or shield1 is first mounted on the pie pan, ap 2..is in engagement withtheunderside of rim 6a, and corner portion 2a is partially elevatedbecause the thickness of rim .6a and the piel crust 9 tends to preventcorner 2a from assuming a planarposition. t However, when the assembledshield 1 and pie pan 6 are inserted within box 8 (as .clearly 'seen inFig. 7), corner portions Zaof the shield aredepressed by boxV 8 therebyeffectively locking shield 1 in place in rm engagement with the crust ofthe pie land holding it securely relative to pan 6. Such engagementserves both to restrain movement of the -pie relative topie pan 6` andto restrain movement of piepan 6 relative to box -8. f

Y Referring now to Fig. .8, another embodiment of this invention isshown in whichv shield 11, is shown as a sheet oficardboard havinggenerally parallel sides 12'and 13 and rounded sides 14 and 15.,Centrally disposed and adjacent rounded sides 14 and 15 are a pair ofaps -16 and 17 which have inwardly directed `arcuate portions 18 and 19and oblique straight cut portions '20 and Z1 formed by lines'of:severance of thatshape. VScore lines `2.2 and 23 are formed in thecardboard andextend from the end of the straight flap portions 20 land21 to the outside edges, along a line obliquely related to straightedges 12 andi13 ofshield l11..':5 Y Figsj9 and -10 show pie shield 11assembled on .awcone ventional circular pie pan 25 having an outwardlyextending rim 26. As viewed from the top (see Fig. 9), shield 11 has `agenerally rectangular shape when assembled to container 25 sothat aps ortabs 16 and 17 -are bent down to engage' the undersurface of rim 26 ofcontainer .25. As -most clearly seen -in` Figs. 9 and 110, `stra-ightportions 2d and 21 of flaps 16 and 17 generally conform to the outerperiphery of rim 26, Vand arcuate portions 18 and 19 form the tab endswhich engage the :underside of rim 26. vAs is clearly evident, iiaps 16:and 17 are movable along Vscore lines 22 and 23.

Referring now to Figs. l1 through 13 in which container 26V supports avschematically 'represented pie, having a crust 27-overlying rim `26, itis Seen that `assembly of shield 11`to pan 25 is commenced by raising ap16 (the operation of iiap 117 is identical and therefore not described)to the elevated position shown in the dotted lines vof Fig. 11.Continued inward movement of ap 16 to the position shown in solid linesin Fig. l1 enables arcuate portion 18 of 4tab `1'6 to be distortedoutwardly to engage the side of rim 26. As shown inFig. 12, outward anddownward movement of flap 16 to the dotted position and then to thesolid position brings the arcuate portion 1S of flap -16 into engagementwith the underside of rim '26. 1f the assembly of shield 11 Vto tin 25were stopped at the position shown by the solid lines of Fig. l2, thenature of the holding engagement between shield 11 and pan 25 would besimilar to that described for Figs. l through 7. However, the embodimentshown in Fig. 8 has the addi-tional advantage that continued downwardand inward movementrof flap .16 -to the dotted position and then `to theVsolid position lshown in Fig. 13 causes flap 16 to snap overcenter sothat the underside of ii'ap .16 engages the underside of rim 26 Vtoleffectively lock shield 11 onto pan .25. The snapped-over positionshown in Figs. v9, l and 13 effectively precludes accidentaldisengagement of iiaps 16 and 17 `from pan 25.

Removal of shield V11 from pan .2-5 is accomplished by reversing theassembly feature, i.e.,snapping iiaps 16 .and 17 overcenter andelevating them so as to Aclear rim 26.

Both described embodiments of this invention can be made fromconventional cardboard stock thereby making the cost of manufacture lowenough to permit disposal of the shield after a single use.

The pie shield of the present invention has been thoroughly -testedcommercially in large quantity and has been found effective forsubstantially eliminating breakage under normal conditions of use. Theshield does not materially add to the cost of the package either from afabrication or an `assembly standpoint and, in addition, has --thefurther advantage -that it provides an additional and convenient spacefor the printing of advertising and instructions.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in its .preferredembodiments, it should be understood that the invention is not to 4belimited to the precise details herein illustrated and described sincethe same can be carried out in other ways falling in the scope of theinvention as claimed.

I claim:

1. A protective device .for .pies and the .like comprising a containerhaving an outwardly extending rim anda sheet vof material zdimensionedVto overlie and to have a portion extend beyond the rim of saidcontainer, said sheet being severed in the region of the extendingportions inwardly of the -edge lthereof to form a plurality of iiaps,the free end ofreach of said flaps being inwardly directed toward thecenter ofthe sheet 4and the upper surface of each of said iiaps `beingin engagement with ithe underside of said container rim, the extendingportion being foldable to move said flap into Icooperating'engagementwith the container.

.2. A .protective tdevice ,for pies and .the .like comprising in acontainer having an outwardly extending rim andrcomprisingia-fs'hee't.of material overlying and extending beyond therimof said container, said sheet of material having a plurality of flapsformed by severing the material in the region of the extending portionsinwardly of the edge thereof, the severance lines being positioned onsaid sheet so that the free end of each of said flaps is inwardlydirected toward the center of the sheet, the upper surface of each ofsaid iiaps being in engagement with the undersurface of said containerrim, and score lines extending from theouter end of said Vseverancelines transversely thereof to the edge of said sheet to form hinge linesabout which'saidjaps and edge portions of the sheet .pivot .to move `thefree ends `of the flaps into cooperating engagement with said container.3. A. protective device for pies andthe like comprising a containerhaving an .outwardly extending rim and a generally rectangular sheet'ofmaterial dimensioned so that at least its corner portions extend Ybeyondthe yrimof said container, said sheet .of material having'a flapV formedineach corner by severing the corner from the sheet along a lineinwardly of the edges thereof, the lines of severing deiining a iiap`whose movable end is directed along a diagonal of the rectangular sheetand which is dimensioned so that the upper surface of said flap is inengagement with the underside of a container rim by folding of the sheetcorner along a line transverse to the sheet diagonal.

4. A protective device for pies and the like comprising a containerhaving an outwardly extending rim and a sheet of material dimensionedto-overlie and have opposed portions thereof extend beyond the rim ofthe container, said sheet having a. plurality of flaps formed byseveringk said extending portions from said sheet along a lineintermediate the edges thereof, said line of ,severance having aninwardly directed arcuate portion intermediatey its ends defining aninwardly extending ap each of said flaps having the underside thereof inengagement with the underside of said rim, the extending portion of saidsheet being foldable to move said arcuate portion into cooperatingengagement with said container.

5. A protective device for pies and the like comprising a containerhaving an outwardly extending rim and a `sheet of material dimensionedto overlie a container and having a plurality of edge portions thereofextending beyond the rim of the container, said sheet having .a plurality of iiaps formed by severing the material in the regionof each ofsaid extending sheet portions, each line of severance being positioned.intermediate the edges oi said sheet and having an arcuate portiondefining an inwardly extending flap, each of said naps having its underside in engagement Vwith the underside of said kcontainer rim, saidsheets further having score lines extending from 'the lines ofseverance-to the edges of said sheet to define hinge lines about whichthe extending portions are foldable to move said flaps into engagementwith said rim.

6. A protective container for pies and the like comprising a generallycircular .pie pan having an outwardly extending rirn, a sheet ofpaperboard dimensioned to overlie and have opposed side portionsextending beyond the rim of said pan, a ap formed in each extending sideportion of said sheet, said flap being formed by severing the sideportion'from said sheet along a line intermediate the edges of saidsheet, said line of severing having a central yarcuate portion definingan inwardly extending' liap of radial Vlength slightly less .than therim width and end portions generally conforming to the periphery of therim, each extending side portion Vhaving been folded sothat theunderside of each said iiap is in engagement with the underside of .saidrim.

References vCited inthe file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,841,875 Brooks ran. 19, 19,32 '1,978,296 Donovan etal Oct. 23, 1934FOREIGN PATENTS I 704,045 .Great Britain Feb. 17, 1954

